Vision in White by Nora Roberts

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Genre - Romance

This is book one of the Bride Quartet by prolific writer Nora Roberts. Childhood friends, Mackenzie, Parker, Laurel and Emmaline enjoyed playing Wedding day when they were eight years old and now they are all grown up and have created a successful wedding planning business called Vows. Set in the beautiful Brown Estate where they also all live together, this novel is full of flowers, food and friends. Unfortunately these four women are yet to discover their own true love. Mac is the main character in this book and she is the wedding photographer who has to fight the demons of her parent’s failed marriage when she finds herself falling for Carter Maguire. A light and entertaining read.

---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway

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Genre - Romantic Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Fantasy



A post-apocalyptic romp of a book that leaves you slack jawed and amazed at the coruscating brilliance of the author and the bravura of his writing. Any book that has ninjas, pirates, mimes, big trucks and even bigger things that go bang in it will always have my stamp of approval!! If you have a taste for the weird, the wonderful, the witty and the satiric this is the book for you. Enjoy!!

PS: If you are in the mood for more of Harkaway's writing check out his website for a sneak preview of his next writing venture - "The Hospitality of Doctor Franzavius".

---- Reviewed by Paul, Headquarters

Naked in Death by J. D. Robb

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Genre - Mystery

The first in the "...in Death" series, this book introduces us to our lead character Detective Eve Dallas. Whilst giving us a ripper crime mystery set in the not-to-distant future, it also gives us the beginning of an unusual love story between our gritty and damaged lead, and the refined billionaire Roarke.
Whilst Nora Roberts is an old hand at romance novels, she dips her toe into crime drama with a hint of her pet genre. Introducing us to several integral characters of the series and tantilising us with tidbits of the characters' pasts, she ties several seemingly unrelated threads together.
Ignoring the romance aspect (which may well turn people off from choosing this book)its well written and clever. There is never a dull moment and begs not to be put down. I would have liked for there to have been more time for the romance to develop but overall it is very believable.
Forget Nora Roberts' usual style of romance novels and give this series a try. It wont disappoint. And as the first in around 30 installments, "Naked in Death" is an enjoyable read with plot twists and personal dramas that only get better.

---- Reviewed by Eloise, Guest

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

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Genre - Biography


I have just discovered Frank McCourt and now on my 2nd book of his. I found Angela's ashes a great read that had me laughing and crying all the way through I could very easily read this wonderful book over and over again.

---- Reviewed by Angela, Guest

The Marriage Club by Kate Legge

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Genre - Fiction


“They could be madly in love. You just don’t know. You never do.” Leith Kremmer and her best friend Eva agree that you can never tell what is really going on in other people’s marriages. Even when you are close friends and have shared years of gossip and personal confessions you can still never know. When Leith’s book club meets in her comfortable home to discuss Ted Hughes’ “Birthday Letters”, they enjoy a night of champagne and an elaborate Spanish supper. They laugh hysterically at the sound of her husband George, an eminent family court judge, practicing his golf swing in the upstairs den. No one suspects that Leith has come to a momentous decision and is preparing to leave her marriage and change her life. No one is prepared for her sudden death and the questions that it raises about her marriage and the secrets she has kept from them all. This is an absorbing story about marriage and society that will appeal to women of all ages.

---- Sue, Knox

The slap by Chris Tsiolkas

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Genre - Australian Fiction

Tsiolkas has written a uniquely middle class Australian tale that exposes the domestic life of a group of family and friends in everyday suburbia. He explores the consequences when a man slaps a friend’s child at a family barbeque. The story slips seamlessly between opposing viewpoints and reveals the strain this puts on all the people involved. An intriguing look behind the curtains of our lives with an emphasis on the racial differences simmering in our suburbs. It reminded me of the the social realism of the Melbourne novel "Monkey Grip" by Helen Garner.

--- Reviewed by Sue, Knox

Jane's fame by Claire Harman

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Genre - Non Fiction


This is a witty & informative account of Jane Austen’s reputation since her death in 1817. Although the recent TV & movie adaptations have made Austen one of the most famous authors in the world, her books were out of print for several years after her death. Her reputation was only revived with the publication of the first biography written by her nephew in the 1870s. That was when the cult of dear Aunt Jane, the refined, elegant spinster, began. Austen’s reputation in the 20th century was enhanced by the scholarly editions of the novels published by R W Chapman which was the beginning of the academic critics’ interest in her work. The explosion of popular interest which began with the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice in 1995 has led to hundreds of websites, blogs, movies, sequels & prequels of the novels. Harman explores everything from chick lit & the internet to serious academic works in this exploration of how Jane Austen conquered the world.

---- Reviewed by Lyn, Headquarters

Handle with care by Jodi Picoult

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Genre - Family

From the opening pages we are swiftly involved in the harrowing life of a family with a child born with a brittle bone disease. Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe have coped with their daughter Willow’s numerous bone breaks and hospital visits despite the emotional and financial strain. Her older teenage sister Amelia successfully hides her suffering until Charlotte decides to sue her obstetrician, who is also best friend, for wrongful birth. The opposition to this lawsuit is strong and the pressure tears the family apart. Picoult is excellent at writing about family tragedy and gives an accurate voice to all sides of this ethical dilemma.
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---- Reviewed by Sue, Knox